Edward Kee reports that there are 69 reactors under construction in the world today - the largest number in 25 years - but only one is in a liberalized electricity market. In the U.S., two nuclear power plants operating in liberalized electricity markets recently closed for financial reasons. Other operating nuclear power plants in liberalized electricity markets face similar issues and may also retire early. Moreover, all new nuclear power projects in U.S. liberalized electricity markets are on hold or have been cancelled.

Tom Hartsfield reports that 1996 was the last year that a commercial nuclear reactor came online in the U.S. That project, at the Watts Barr plant in Tennessee, began in 1973. We have not built a new facility in 40 years. A new startup company called UPower is hoping to thaw some of this frozen market. Their plan is to think small. Currently, it is very difficult to open a new plant in the U.S. The reasons for this are well known, but they boil down to overregulation.

A continuous increase in the number and complexity of regulations beginning in the early 1970s caused the material... More →

Dr. Conca reports that the U.S. will soon have five new reactors online in the United States and the industry is abuzz with the potential of small modular nuclear reactors, called SMRs.

Because of their small size - 300 MW or less - SMRs have many unique applications, including generating emission-free electricity in remote areas with little or no access to the main power grid, or providing process heat to industrial applications, and for providing power after an urban disaster, such as the weather attack on New Orleans by Hurricane Rita. Some SMRs will have long operating cycles be... More →

Dr. Conca suggests maybe, but it is going to be impossible without using all the low-carbon energy sources we have available. Information and communication technologies require a lot of power. The human online population topped 3 billion in 2014, but should exceed 7 billion by 2020.

Along with this increase, comes a parallel increase in the online carbon footprint. So large electricity-consuming data centers like Google, Amazon, Facebook, Yahoo, Microsoft and Apple are looking for reliable sources of power that do not emit much carbon. And the answer is nuclear power, especially fro... More →

Dr. Conca reports that led by Ontario, Canada is looking to fill their looming energy supply gap, and address climate change, by building a fleet of the new super-safe small modular nuclear reactors (SMRs) over the next 20 years.

Ontario electricity supply is quite low-carbon already, with about 60% nuclear and 20% hydropower, with natural gas about 10%. Canada overall is about 60% hydropower and 16% nuclear, with the rest spread out among coal, gas and wind. At 50 grams of CO2 per kWh, Canada is one of the cleanest grids in the world.

Simon Evans reports that nuclear power used for generating electricity in populated areas still has a potential future in Australia. With the arrival of domestic battery storage, this will give renewable energy such as wind and solar a competitive edge in the outback and very remote regions of Australia.

According to the Royal Commissioner investigating the nuclear industry for the South Australian government, Kevin Scarce, says that an Australian nuclear industry can be future-proofed against the potentially massive changes coming to the energy sector.

The Cantor uranium spot-price predictions for the next three years remain the same - US$50 in 2016, US$60 in 2017 and US$70 in 2018. According to Rob Chang, his firm confidence is rooted in uncovered requirements. Essentially, utilities will eventually have to start buying as reactors cannot operate without uranium. At some point, someone is going to have to jump in and buy and others will do the same, the spot market is so thin that it will show. Just like last year, when a few buyers came in it went from US$28 to the US$40 range really quickly, he said.

Guy Page reports that as a longtime observer of the activities surrounding the Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant, and questions the Cape Cod Bay Watch version of the conditions at Vermont Yankee (Video - New, Old Problems at Pilgrim, May 14). In an effort to shape public opinion against one of the best employers in Vermont and its leading manufacturer of emissions-free electricity, there has been both omission and mischaracterization of fact.

First, there is no fallout between the state of Vermont and Vermont Yankee management as the author suggests, only an unresolved disagreement... More →

Dr. Conca reports that Captain James T. Kirk wants to crowdfund a water pipeline from Seattle down to Lake Mead in Nevada to fix California megadrought. Shatner announced that even if he does not meet his financial goal, the campaign will at least get the word out about the California drought. If he does not make the 30 billion dollars necessary, he said that he would give what money to a politician who says that he or she would it. Obviously, it is to raise awareness that something more than just closing your tap is needed, so why not a pipeline, he asks. But, the Pacific Northwest is not the... More →

Daniel Acker reports that the lowest electricity prices in more than a decade are testing the whole business model of independent power-generation companies. While most companies are thrilled when their fuel costs drop, plunging natural-gas prices have pushed wholesale electricity prices down to rock-bottom levels. That trend is pressuring the sales and stock prices of some of the biggest power-plant owners in the U.S.

Shares in Dynegy Inc., DYN 9.21% Calpine Corp. CPN 3.82% and NRG Energy Inc. NRG 7.68% slid more than 55% last year. So far this year, they are down between 4% and 19... More →

Chris Dalby reports that the numbers that define China progress over the last 50 years are staggering. Over 300 million people lifted out of poverty. Over 160 cities with more than 1 million inhabitants. Over 630 million Internet users. And now, following the recent climate-change deal with U.S., China has a massive price tag of $2 trillion to implement climate-policy changes. In order to cap carbon emissions and generate 20 per cent of the electricity from renewables by 2030, Bloomberg estimates this would require 1,000 nuclear reactors, 500,000 wind turbines or 50,000 solar farms. The pledge... More →

The Chinese government on Wednesday approved the construction of pilot nuclear power units using the Hualong One technology, a domestically-developed third generation reactor design. Hualong One draws on more than 20 years of experience of Chinese nuclear power operators and follows the world's leading design philosophy, according to a statement released after a State Council executive meeting presided over by Premier Li Keqiang.

The approval is in line with global energy trends and will help optimize the country's energy structure and build a diversified clean energy system, the st... More →

BEIJING â€” China said Friday it had hooked its first so-called "fourth generation" nuclear reactor to the grid, a breakthrough that could eventually reduce its reliance on uranium imports. The experimental fast-neutron reactor is the result of more than 20 years of research and could also help minimise radioactive waste from nuclear energy, the state-run China Institute of Atomic Energy (CIAE) said. China is the ninth country to develop a fast-neutron reactor, which uses uranium 60 times more efficiently than a normal reactor, helping the country to reduce its relia... More →

Stephen Stapczynski, of Bloomberg, reports that China rapid nuclear expansion will result in it overtaking the U.S. as the nation with the largest atomic power capacity by 2026, according to BMI Research. The world second biggest economy will almost triple its nuclear capacity to nearly 100 gigawatts by 2026, making it the biggest market globally, analysts said recently. China added about 8 gigawatts of nuclear power last year, boosting its installed capacity to about 34 million kilowatts, according to BMI.

China has committed to boosting nuclear power, which accounted for about 1.... More →

Lyu Chang and Hu Meidong report that China Nuclear Engineering Group Corp signed an agreement with Saudi Arabia on Tuesday to develop its homegrown fourth-generation nuclear technology in the oil-rich Middle East country. Gu Jun, president and general manager of CNEC, said the agreement was a major step toward the export of high-temperature gas-cooled reactors, an indigenous nuclear technology jointly developed by CNEC and Tsinghua University.

He made the remarks during a ceremony in Beijing held by the Fuzhou New Economic Area, in which the Chinese company plans to invest nearly 16... More →

The reactor pressure vessel has been installed in the second AP1000 unit under construction at the Haiyang nuclear power plant. Meanwhile, first concrete has been poured for the foundation of the conventional island for the HTR-PM at Shidaowan. The vessel was first raised from the ground to above the units containment building using a 3200-tonne crawler crane. The large component was then carefully lowered into position within the building. The operation began at 11.09 am on 12 September, 2014 and took less than two hours and twenty minutes to complete, plant constructor China Nuclear Engineer... More →

Dr. Conca reports that China is working on a floating nuclear power plant that could sail to specific sites around the world and anchor offshore to produce power for various needs. China General Nuclear expects to complete construction of this small modular offshore multi-purpose reactor by 2020, and demonstrate its utility for a variety of purposes. Construction of the first floating reactor is expected to start next year with electricity generation to begin in 2020.

China General Nuclear ACPR50S reactor design was approved by the Chinese National Development and Reform Commission.... More →

The manufacture of the reactor pressure vessel in China for Sanmen 2 has been completed - the first AP1000 vessel to be domestically produced. The completed vessel, manufactured by China First Heavy Industries - CFHI - under the supervision of Westinghouse, successfully passed a pressure test on 8 June, 2014 and just now released to the press.The vessel is destined for use in the second of two AP1000 under construction at the Sanmen site in Zhejiang province, eastern China. Two further AP1000s are under construction at Haiyang in Shandong province.

Xinhua reports that China is promoting its own third-generation reactor design, Hualong One technology, which will have to compete with third-generation designs from the Untied States, France and Russia for a lucrative global market. At a promotion event on in Fuqing city of Southeast China Fujian province, the location of a planned pilot nuclear power project that uses the technology, China National Nuclear Corporation said it was optimistic of the technology prospects.

The Hualong One design is a fine example of Chinese innovation and is based on decades of experience in the nucl... More →

China is actively promoting its third generation nuclear technology in nearly 20 countries, a media report in Beijing said.

The Hualong One third generation nuclear power technology was jointly developed by nuclear power giants - China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC) and China General Nuclear Power Group (CGN). The Peoples Daily said that Hualong One technology is a world-level domestically-developed third generation reactor design. At present, CGN is actively promoting nuclear cooperation with nearly 20 countries, including Britain, Argentina, Egypt and Brazil, as also in Euro... More →

China is ready to help the Czech Republic to develop its nuclear industry and expand its power stations, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang was quoted as saying in a newspaper on Wednesday. The Czech Republic is working on a long-term energy strategy that is expected to count heavily on nuclear power even after the official cancellation of the planned expansion of a nuclear power plant in the south of the country. While Li was on a visit to Serbia this week, China said it would create a new investment fund of 3 billion dollars - 2.4 billion euros - targeting central and eastern Europe.

China is expected to start building at least five nuclear reactors in 2015 while facing a further delay at a plant that had been slated to start this year. The Sanmen project in the eastern province of Zhejiang is expected to come online at the beginning of 2016 after problems were found in the main pump during testing, said Wang Zhongtang, chief engineer of China State Nuclear Power Technology Corp. The Westinghouse Electric Co.-designed plant is the first AP1000 reactor.

China plans to expand atomic capacity threefold by 2020 in a renewed nuclear push after the country stopped app... More →

Coco Liu reports that the first two new nuclear reactors since the meltdowns at Fukushima received approval in China. Experts say the approval of new nuclear reactors is critical for China to achieve its target of installing 58 gigawatts of nuclear power China yesterday approved the construction of two new nuclear reactors, giving a long awaited go-ahead to Chinese nuclear developers.

The country halted its rapid nuclear power expansion in 2011, when Japan's Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power complex experienced meltdowns after a deadly tsunami. While Chinese officials allowed several ... More →

Bloomberg News reports that China approved the construction of new nuclear reactors for the first time since the Fukushima tsunami disaster in 2011 as the biggest polluter seeks to drive protective masks out of fashion.

The Bloomberg chart of the day compares the total electricity output of China with amounts generated from thermal coal, hydroelectric power and atomic reactors. The world largest energy consumer derived 77 per cent of its electricity from coal and gas-fired utilities last year, compared with 17 per cent provided by hydropower and 2.4 per cent by nuclear, according to... More →

China need to construct as many as 100 new nuclear reactors over the next decade as it bids to bring nuclear power share of its total generating capacity to around 6 per cent by 2030, an industry chief told state media on Wednesday.

He Yu, the chairman of the China General Nuclear Power Corporation, said the China low-carbon roadmap leading up to 2030 would need as much as 150 to 200 gigawatts of installed nuclear capacity, up from around 20 GW at the end of last year.